


The Truth About The Moon.

by idkspookystuff



Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Ficlet, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Pining, Songfic, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 19:44:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17873654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idkspookystuff/pseuds/idkspookystuff
Summary: It’s a good thing David doesn’t cry over boys like Jack Kelly, not here, not while he’s cocooned by his facts and not lies, like the truth about the moon.





	The Truth About The Moon.

**Author's Note:**

> This is VERY HEAVILY inspired by [The Truth About The Moon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlzBcBkTEM4), which is a beautiful song that you should listen to if you like Newsies at all. It was originally written for Sarah, but it's so very Davey that I couldn't help myself.
> 
> I hope you liked this! If you did, consider leaving a kudo and maybe even a comment. I reply to all the comments so if you have a question just let me know and I'll reply to it. I know this is short but I hope you appreciate it anyway; I just needed to write something to do with this song.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> [-Seb](http://gorgeousdan.tumblr.com)

“Why Santa Fe?”

They’re laying pressed together on David’s balcony, trading a cigar that Jack had stolen from a wealthy middle-aged man upstate. Jack turns to David, goofy smile painted on his face. Jack is kind of irresistibly beautiful: golden skin, piercing eyes, a sharp jawline. He makes David’s heart squeeze. And he wants to go all the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

“Dunno,” Jack answers. He bumps David’s arm with his shoulder. “Ya know,” he says, “the moon’s bigger in Santa Fe.” Somewhere, a clock tower chimes ten.

“David.” His father interrupts the two of them, making David jump. Jack hardly flinches. “It’s time for your friend to go home.” And with that, he retreats back into the house, muttering something about how it’s too cold to be outside. David had hardly noticed the cold with Jack pressed close to him like this.

Jack climbs down the gutter until he can just reach David’s hand. He holds his hand out and David grabs him, intertwines their fingers. His breath feels shorter, quicker like this. “I’ll be seein’ ya in the mornin’, Davey,” Jack says. He bites his lip, that stupid goofy smile on his face. “Carryin’ tha banner.”

“Carrying the banner,” David replies. Jack drops his hand and David watches as he continues down until he’s gone, towards the lodging house where the other newsies are waiting for him.

David sighs and sits back down, looks up at the sky. “The moon’s bigger in Santa Fe,” he repeats, tries it out on his tongue. He scoffs at the idea and shakes his head. “Honestly.”

David’s smart, he knows things about the moon. It’s a couple hundred thousand miles away from here, for example. Its Latin name is Luna. Scientists have never found signs of habitable life, like water or an atmosphere. And he knows it’s the  _ exact _ same size no matter where you go. 

David also knows things about Jack: the dime novel cowboy with golden skin and a smile that could make David do dangerous things. Jack’s unapologetic and he always,  _ always _ gets his way. And his way isn’t with uptight, private school boys like him; it’s with quick-witted girls like Katherine or Sarah. Jack doesn’t even know David’s queer.

David sighs, buries his head in his hands. He wishes he could stop feeling like this about Jack, but he can’t. All he can focus on is the stupid moon and Santa Fe, so far away where David will never see him again, where Jack will fall in love with a girl and they’ll probably get married and have children and David will be alone with his textbooks and his notes and the truth.

But what is the truth? He knows Jack lies: about knowing the governor, about escaping the refuge on the back of the carriage, about his folks somewhere far off, hell, even the way he said his name sounded fake. And he lies to the boys about how they have a chance at winning this strike, about how they’ll be victorious, about how they’re more than a bunch of scared little boys in the orphanage.

Why do these lies make David feel so powerful? How does Jack make him feel like he’s been turned inside out? And how, how is David ever going to get over Jack Kelly, with his golden skin and his soft smile and his eyes, brighter than the stars or the stupid moon.

“David.” It’s his father, standing at his window again. “It’s time to come in now.”

Thankfully, it’s dark and David’s dad can’t see the tear that rolls down his face. David brings a hand and wipes his face. It’s a good thing he doesn’t cry over boys like Jack Kelly, not here, not while he’s cocooned by his facts and not lies, like the truth about the moon.

David runs a hand along the spine of a textbook and sighs. “Jack.”


End file.
